Los Angeles just got a little pricier—again. In a unanimous 10-0 vote, the City Council approved an increase in parking meter rates across the city, raising the hourly rate from $1 to $1.50. The hike marks the first adjustment in over a decade and comes with additional changes that are sure to make parking in L.A. even more of an adventure.
For starters, meters will soon run on Sundays, ending one of the last havens of free parking in the city. The rollout will happen gradually over the next six months as new signage and systems are installed. In areas with high late-night activity, meter hours will extend all the way to midnight. Elsewhere, enforcement will stretch to 8pm. So if you were used to squeezing in dinner or drinks after six without paying, that window is officially closing.
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City officials are framing the move as a matter of parity and practicality. Nearby cities like Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Santa Monica and West Hollywood already enforce paid parking seven days a week, and L.A. is finally catching up. The city estimates the new rates will generate roughly $14.4 million in additional revenue, plus another $1.7 million from adjustments to public parking lot fees. That money is expected to help fund transportation projects, street maintenance and city services. Officials are also asking departments to take a closer look at other public space issues, like trash bins blocking sidewalks and streets.
Still, for anyone who’s ever circled a block in Silver Lake or Hollywood for 20 minutes praying for a meter, this will sting. The city’s already tough parking scene just got a little tougher—and costlier. A once-free Sunday afternoon outing or a quick late-night stop may now come with a tab.
Supporters argue the increase is long overdue. A dollar an hour no longer reflects the real cost of maintenance, enforcement or the city’s broader transportation goals. Critics, meanwhile, see it as another hit to drivers in a city that remains deeply car-dependent, where public transit is still catching up to sprawling geography and culture.
Whether this change will actually reduce congestion, encourage more Angelenos to ride the Metro or simply inspire new levels of parking rage remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: The cost of standing still in Los Angeles just went up.